Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I will post a painting Thomas made today of the Titanic. It's still wet now and I want to scan it rather than shoot it. His ceramics class as had the benefit of instilling a desire to learn to paint. Let's run with it, I say.

Thomas painted from 4 pm until 10 pm tonight, taking a short break only to eat. Bob insisted on postponing the physics lesson because Thomas was so grossly absorbed in what he was doing.

He did a pretty good job. He asked me my honest opinion and I said honestly, for your first-ever painting, it is great. He asked me what I would do different. That one was hard to answer. See, he had the great painting and at the top he painted "titanic" in white on the sky background. In D'Nealian letters. You know, those happy, upturned cheerful letters. I said I'd paint over "titanic". You don't need it because anyone who looks at the painting will know what it is. And besides that, it's too happy because at that very moment that you chose to paint, people are screaming and dying. It's not a happy scene.

I then asked him if he'd like to get out dad's painting books. NO, I know how to paint, mooooom. But honey, one of the best ways is to learn better is to get instruction.

He marches to the beat of his own drummer. Getting a painting book out might kill the love. What's a mom to do.

I'm going to get the books out anyway, leave them on the breakfast table, and see what he does.

I am so happy we found the ceramics class. I just wish we could find other art classes in our town.

4 comments:

mull-berry said...

What kind of paint and what was he painting on? canvas?

Each Christmas, I got an art kit. It had two to three canvases in it ... when those were used, that was it until the next year! It seems that getting more was not an option.

Give him all the paint and paper he needs. Try a variety of both. As far as instruction, I would just have him paint a color wheel and see how all the colors relate to each other. Then look at his own art (even the ceramics he painted) and try to figure out what color schemes he used.

http://www.rentaldecorating.com/images/Articlepic/rddcolorwheel.jpg

Angela said...

How very cool! I love when my kids get engrossed in something like that. Can't wait to see the painting.

Girlie is really into drawing, and loves art books. But, she hates art INSTRUCTION books. So, I let her go, and see that she is improving by copying the masters. She is learning on her own, in her own way.

I too, do not want to squelch the passion! I think about some of the greatest guitar players ever, and many didn't have formal instruction until they were famous!

Mz.Elle said...

I've got an artsy kid too!
We're working on a Book of Spells
at the moment;)

Can't wait to see your boy's work!

momof3feistykids said...

I can't wait to see it!

http://steph-roomofmyown.blogspot.com/